Hello All,
I've been pricing heart monitors to wear while riding and I was looking for a few suggestions. It would have to work both inside and out.
I've been looking at the Polar F6, does anyone have experience with this one?
Thanks
Russell
Heart Monitors
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 10:17am
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 10:42am
#1
HRMs
"Russell, I have the F11, one step up from the F6. I've had it since November, and it's changed my workouts.
You may know, Polar's the definitive HRM brand and most folks I know who've tried others rate Polar highest.
As I understand it (and I've been discussing this fellow athletic gals lately who own various models), F4 is fine if you work out alone and want the simple HR and calorie burn, F6 is a step up and designed to avoid ""cross-talk"" if you work out at a gym with others with HRMs, and the F11 is the ""bells and whistles"" version with lots of cool features including the ability to upload your numbers online in order to track them over time.
You may have already seen it, but the polar Web site has an excellent side-by-side comparison chart of the various models' features.
You can't go wrong with the F6, IMHO.
Hope that helps."
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 10:44am
#2
time stamp set to california dreamin'?
P.S. I just noticed the time stamp on our message board is set to West Coast time!
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 11:00am
#3
HR monitors
Hey Carol
can you explain how the HR monitor helped your workout, ive also been looking at getting one also.
Thx
Steve
Mon, 01/29/2007 - 2:16pm
#4
HRM changed my workouts
"Steve,
The reason the F11 changed my workouts is that I now know exactly what my max and average HR are for a given workout, and I can track those stats over time. Even more importantly, I know how many calories I've burned per workout, which is VERY useful info for me personally in my quest to drop my ""holiday"" weight. That's a big reason for me to use the HRM.
I'm very geeky that way, very numbers-oriented and I dig being able to chart my workouts. It's also going to be immensely helpful to me now, since I'm gearing up to do the NYC Triathlon in July.
But I do agree with other posters; you don't have to blow gobs of cash on top of the line; the lower priced Polars (like the F4 and F6) are perfectly fine for basic needs.
this comparison chart is pretty good:
http://www.polarusa.com/consumer/fitness/products.asp
"
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 2:34pm
#5
Cycling HRM
Polar makes the S720i and S725 which are cycling specific. They come with a wireless wheel sensor, so they can do all your cyclometer functions also.
Not sure what your price range or technical requirements are, but the 720 saves all your ride data, including altitude and speed along with your HR so you can make pretty graphs. Works fine running and in the gym also.
Wed, 01/24/2007 - 5:30pm
#6
Timex
I like my Timex which uses a digital transmission which means it is less likely to get its signal crossed with another cyclist or person running alongside you in the gym treadmill or exercise bike. Unlike Polar units which require you to ship 'em back for battery replacement(correct me if I am wrong), for Timex replacing the batteries can be done by yourself.
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 5:27am
#7
polar m32
"This is a good unit and relatively inexpensive - less than $100. Has a coded transmitter so that it will work in a crowd. You can replace the batteries in both the transmitter belt and watch unit - I did both of them myself. Batteries can be purchased in a local drug store.
The downside is that it doesn't do downloads like more expensive polar models. It also won't tell you your max hr. But, it will tell you when you are in/out of your desired hr range, give you your avg hr per exercise session, and let you know how much time you spent in your target hr range per exercise session.
$89 at Amazon with free shipping - http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Rate-Monitor-Watch/dp/B00075LN7W
You can also purchase a handlebar mount for the watch.
P.S. My batteries usually outlast the two year warranty so that when I replace the batteries myself, the watch is already out of warranty. I don't swim with the watch.
"
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 7:00am
#8
Battery Replacement & Polar Warranty
"""We recommend all service be done by an authorized Polar Service Center. Warranty does not cover any damage caused by service not authorized by Polar. If your Polar heart rate monitor is out of warranty and water resistance is not a concern, you may take your receiver to a local jeweler or battery replacement center for battery change only.""
http://www.polarusa.com/service_repair/serverinfo_con.asp"
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 7:39am
#9
Battery replacement
"Replacing a Polar HRM battery without damaging the unit (or affecting water-resistance) is just as easy as it is on a Timex. Polar's ""recommendation"" is little more than an attempt to generate a few more bucks after the sale. This should not be a determining factor, in my view. I've owned examples from both companies and -- at least in terms of HRMs -- I think Polar makes a far superior product.
Spring for one of the 700-series models. They're worth their retail prices, but it's not hard to find good used ones on eBay. Absolute best cycling accessory I own (though, admittedly, I haven't yet made the move to a power meter).
--DvB"
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 10:28am
#10
Polar HRM etc
"I have en el-cheapo Polar HRM and it works great. Monitoring my HR made all the difference in building my endurance and allowing me to race without totally bonking (ok, I still partially bonk!). I now use a Garmin Edge 305 which has some of the fancier options (like cadence and GPS etc.) and keeps track of lots of data. I also looked over the book ""Heart Zones Cycling,"" which has some good advice about using a HRM. I'm tailoring my workouts accordingly and even after 3 weeks it is making a difference. I'd spring for a fancier model now so you can get all the info and download to a computer for analysis and tracking (and there are free online programs out there and perhaps the Polar software works well)."
Fri, 01/26/2007 - 10:42am
#11
"Which ""examples"" from both companies have you owned? (nm)"
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 1:09pm
#12
. (nm)
Thu, 01/25/2007 - 1:13pm
#13
Sports Instruments
Fri, 01/26/2007 - 1:37pm
#14
I own a hrm and used it for a short while. I found that the pace that I normally rode put me in my target zone– it rarely prompted me to work harder or ease up.
Around that time I had several relatives in the hospital on monitors and wearing it just made me feel like a patient instead of an athelete. So I stopped wearing it.
